Having lost the toss St Helier were invited to bat – and a better start is difficult to imagine.Veteran campaigner Chris Searson, 28, and fellow-opened Grant Phillips, 14, shared in an opening stand of 51 within four overs.To their credit, Centurions rallied to stem the run-fest as wickets fell with some regularity.
Elanco was the pick of the bowlers for Centurions, taking 4 for 22 from his three overs, and he pouched two catches as St Helier were finally restricted to 113 for 8 from their 12 overs.Centurions’ response was calm and measured, as they maintained the required 9.5 run-rate for the first four overs.Gradually, however, St Helier applied the pressure with tight bowling from Tim Butlin and Dave Thomas.
An entertaining knock by Raj David kept the Centurions players and supporters hopeful, with a combination of sweeps, hooks – and even a reverse sweep – as he accumulated 23 runs before he became Searson’s first victim.Hayden Druce added 19, but the writing was on the wall and wickets started to tumble at an alarming rate, mainly due to Searson who, in his final over, bowled a three wicket maiden to leave him with figures of 5 for 20.
And he wasn’t finished yet as, in the last over, he threw down the wicket of Peter Brooks, with a direct hit from mid-wicket.Phillips took his tally to 2 for ten by claiming the final wicket in the last over to leave Centurions 33 runs short at 80 all out.Nigel Maton of St Helier RUFC said that it had been a tight game – ‘but then it always is.
We fielded well and took our catches.
Chris (Searson) really deserved his man-of-the- match award, and we all chipped in.
We were probably the more experienced side and I think it showed.’Evening league chairman Granville Fisher presened the cup to St Helier captain Mick Poulter and Chris Searson received the well-deserved man of the match award, from Nick Fry.
